Apple suppliers ramp up hiring in preparation for iPhone 7: Report

Apple's top Taiwanese suppliers have started mass-hirings, with reports in Taiwan that the companies were recruiting staff in preparation for building the iPhone 7 series.

On the website for Foxconn's Zhengzhou, China, factory, a job advertisement on the homepage reads, "Foxconn Zhengzhou is hiring a large number of ordinary workers. Welcome to join Foxconn: Age between 18-40. Overall monthly salary: 3,800 renmimbi. Start working immediately."

In a longer version of the ad, potential workers are encouraged to "hurry to apply," and warned that the company's jobs hotline may be busy because "so many applicants are dialing in."

"Please call a few times more and wait in patience," it reads. "We will get back to you and make arrangements accordingly."

Taiwan's Economic Daily News reported on Tuesday that Foxconn, which is also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, and Pegatron, another Apple supplier, had ramped up hiring as they prepared to assemble the newest model iPhones.

The report noted that hiring at both suppliers had kicked off their recruitment seasons at least a month earlier than in previous years in which Apple has launched new iPhones, and that it was the first time in two years that Foxconn had started recruiting on the mainland as early as May.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6S Plus were launched in September, and speculation about the release of an iPhone 7 series of phones has heated up this month, with Macworld.co.uk recently reporting that Apple was expected to launch an iPhone 7 as well as an iPhone 7 Plus that could possibly be called the iPhone Pro.

Most reports have put the likely release date in September.

The Economic Daily News reported that the design of the iPhone 7 was more complex than previous models, which meant that suppliers needed to start work on the new phone's parts earlier than on previous iterations, which assembling staff needed more training than previous.

Foxconn did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Pegatron declined to comment.